First European Polestar Space opens in Norway

Swedish electric performance brand Polestar has opened its first European Space in Oslo, Norway, changing the face of the traditional automotive retail model.

The Oslo Space demonstrates the brand’s new retail concept combining minimalist design with seamless digital interactivity. Consumers will be able to define the entire customer journey from initial enquiry through to delivery.

Polestar Specialists, acting as brand ambassadors on a non-commissioned basis, will engage with and inform customers about the company and its products.

Test drives can be held on-site, deliveries can be scheduled to home or office addresses and there is no held stock to try and persuade buyers away from their personalised configuration.

Those wishing to order or reserve a Polestar can complete the process through the Polestar app or website either in their own home in their own time, or under the guidance of a Polestar Specialist in their chosen Polestar Space.

“The Space in Oslo is extremely special,” Polestar chief executive officer Thomas Ingenlath says.

“The location is perfect, right at the heart of where people shop and relax, and the way this modern retail experience sits inside a historic building really reinforces our belief that great design is timeless.

“Performance for us isn’t just about great driving dynamics, it is also about the experience customers have choosing their perfect Polestar and the excitement of living with it every day.”

Officially the fastest growing city in Europe and capital of Norway, Polestar says Oslo was an obvious choice for its first European space, especially with Norway boasting the highest penetration of EVs in the world.

Polestar has a further 50 global locations planned.

“The Polestar Space is our way of changing the face of automotive retail,” Polestar chief operations officer Jonathan Goodman says.

“With no salesmen and no vehicles on the forecourt, there is no hard sell, no requirement to shift stock and an entirely customer-focussed journey. Consumers will define how much they interact with the exhibits and Polestar Specialists tailoring their experience to their exact needs, not the brand’s. Once they have found the perfect specification, seamless digital interactivity places the vehicle in the customer’s app, ready to be ordered when it suits them. We will put the fun back into buying a car!”

Polestar 1 and Polestar 2 take priority, lit with specially designed lightboxes.

A high-quality product wall houses individual components revealed from behind closed doors or through interactive proximity modules designed to stimulate conversation and interest.

Customers can also interact with the Polestar 1 or Polestar 2 through Varjo human-eye resolution virtual reality.

Those at the configuration stage can use a free-standing atelier table, inspired by design house cutting tables. By placing trim modules on the surface, RFID technology allows customers to curate their own specification and see it reflected on the nearby display screens. Placing an NFC compatible phone on the table means once the design is perfected, the user can take it away with them without even pressing a button.

Each Polestar Space will become part of a network and foster a community, hosting talks and exhibitions, from design and architecture to technology and of course automotive.

Polestar Oslo opened to the public on October 25.